


May the Empire Prosper

by RadeonRose



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Arranged Marriage, Emperor Hux, F/M, Half-Sibling Incest, Hux and Rey are related however, Hux doesn't like to share, Implied Kylux, Kylo Ren and Rey Are Not Related, Multi, OOC Rey (at the beginning), One sided Reyux, Princess! Rey, Rey however has a overly brother complex to Hux, TFA never happened, as half-siblings, between Kylo and Rey, just to warn you though, possessive!Hux, she's more like a oc, since she grew up in a palace and not in jakku, slight Reylux, well rey is not the real rey in tfa at the beginning, where rey is not a scavenger from jakku
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-27
Updated: 2017-04-02
Packaged: 2018-08-11 08:00:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7883107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RadeonRose/pseuds/RadeonRose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Small wisps of grey smoke filtered the air as Hux overviewed the capital city’s lights that flashed his metropolis brighter. His gaze flicked in between the highways of buzzing freighters and bustling transport ships, to his subjects that roamed the streets. This was what he lived for; the control and power that dominated everything he sees. From the simple minds and wills of his citizens, to the management of cargo, trade goods with all the value in the galaxy, Hux relished in it all. </p>
<p>Placing the cigar back between his lips, he then proceeded to evaluate today’s success.</p>
<p>Typical of Ren. Always ready to agree, always ready to comply. Ever the obedient one. And speaking of obedience, a certain someone of his had not been very well behaved.</p>
<p>“Brother?”</p>
<p>And here she was.</p>
<p>[CHAPTERS ARE UNDER REVISION SO EXPECT SOME CHANGES TO PREVIOUS CHAPTERS]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LadyLionhart](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyLionhart/gifts).



> So I have never really written a fanfic like this before, much less a mature at that, and therefore this is my very first work. I would first like to thank @LadyLionhart for helping me with my grammar and plot ideas, making sure that I manage to even finish writing a piece or chapter, even though she's busy and I've given up on countless other times. Please do check her story, Ashes of Eden, out and give her the support that she has given me. Hope you enjoy this, and remember, fiction is not reality.

Kylo doesn’t really know what he’s doing here. Having separated the Knights of Ren from the forces of the New Empire’s armies, he expected themselves to have no more business with His Majesty, Emperor Armitage Hux, any longer. Yet, here he was; a knight coming to the call of his king.

Primarily after the defeat of the Supreme Leader Snoke and disbandment of the First Order, the trivial rivalry that existed between Kylo and Hux increased tenfold, wavering their ideals for control and discipline so vastly apart, the two men could barely see one another eye to eye. This had led to both men setting themselves on a truce that neither shall interfere the other’s business as they each handled the warfare for the galaxy individually. Were it not for them putting aside their strife, they may have failed to stand where they now stood. 

With the war ending on their favours, Hux was then proclaimed as the successor of the newer First Order, namely the New Empire, and was subsequently crowned as emperor by the remaining Senate of the defeated Republic, having been more adept to the handling of military troops and corruptible politics than Kylo ever was, unfortunately. Furthermore, Kylo had never seen himself engaged or interested in things like diplomacy, hence Hux’s fair coronation.

Instead, Kylo was to remain the sole force-user and master of the Knights of Ren - unaffiliated enforcers of the New Empire whose prime objective was to hunt down any forsaken artifacts and followers of both the Jedi  _ and _ the Sith - who were licensed to proceed at their own will than the emperor’s. 

Of course, should he be summoned, Kylo was to present himself with no objections.

And now, greeted by only the menacing stance of two giant durasteel doors, Kylo Ren could not help but wonder to what need does the emperor have of him now. Last he had checked, whatever remained of the Resistance had been silent for the last few months -  _ too  _ silent for his own liking - as agreed upon by the moratorium (after already losing hundreds of assets on the battle against the New Empire, what other choice would they have).

Not wanting to delay whatever issue it may be, however, Kylo Ren straightened himself into his full height as the grand doors before him began to open.

_ This had better be good _ , was his final thought.

********************************************

Armitage Brendol Thrawn Tarkin Hux. An odd bunch of names, yet simply just perfect; a perfect name for the perfect emperor, as Hux always told himself. Although he may thoroughly despise his first and second, his last names - of which belonged to only the greatest of minds in the galaxy - reminded him that he was just destined for greatness.

After years of humiliation and doubt, Armitage Hux had proven to the whole entire universe that he was not just some bastard orphan, nor the son of a whore, but rather that he was the greatest ruler that this miserable nebula so deserved.

Cast aside by his own father, while he was left to wither with his poor and frail, prostitute-of-a-mother who, unfortunately, did not last very long, Hux knew he had to adapt in order to survive. To fight the world nefariously in order to get the upper hand in life.

Sent to the military academy where his father had worked in due course of time, Hux knew he had to prove himself to the people around him and not be taken for a fragile weakling. 

Though challenging as it was, at just the mere age of 14, Hux was able to defeat at the minimum of six men in every game of holo-chess, range-shooting and virtual battlefields strategically. Granted, though not the same could be said when it came to physical hand-to-hand combat, Hux had no use for brawns when he already had his one true gift: the intelligence of his mind. He was only 16 when he had graduated outstandingly among his so-called peers and was immediately assigned to his first station.

By 17, Hux was already in command of his own squadron. It became only a matter of time before he would have the absolute control over the First Order - now known as his Imperial Armies - at his disposal. The downside was that with the attainment of great power came the greatest obstacles; it had not always been easy for him to overcome them, especially when they materialised in the form of the First Order’s undiscussed, long-standing Supreme Leader Snoke. 

The Supreme Leader Snoke had always been a thorn at his side. Time after time, Hux recalled how he had to always suck up his pride and  _ obey  _ every. Single. Word. That came out from the mouth of that humongous, but undoubtedly weak and brittle hologram that stood before him. Now Hux could have the last laugh as he walked past the skull of the once notorious leader.

“Your Majesty,” announced a nearby servant. “Lord Ren has arrived.”

At the mention of his former…  _ colleague _ , Hux smiled. “Excellent. Send him in.”

********************************************

“Your Majesty,” greeted Kylo Ren with his fist upon his heart and a nod of civility. 

“Lord Ren.”    

Kylo raised his head to peruse upon the reigning sovereign. It would seem that nothing in particular, save the start of a beard and almost visible white strands in his fiery mane, had changed over the last few years since he last saw him. “You’re looking well,” he remarked. “What it is that is you need of me, Hux?”

“That’s **_Emperor_** Hux to you, _Kylo_ ,” Hux pointed out, his back upright and leaning with intolerance towards the man in front of him. With fists slowly unclenched from his golden armrest, he breathed out exasperatedly. “Look,” he said, “I called you out here not for argument's sake. Surely, after all this time, we can let bygones be bygones and talk things out like the civil men that we are.”

Kylo had only hardened his gaze in return.   


Hux sighed. “Always the impatient one, huh Ren? Fine. I’ll keep it simple. I want--”

Before Hux could finish, however, Kylo heard those same grand doors opening once more. This time, they were accompanied by a voice.

It was soft, feminine with a slight Core-world accent. “I came as soon as you called, brother.” Kylo turned to face the possessor.

Heart-stopping. That was what she was. With light auburn hair tied up in a braided chignon, face splashed with tiny, little freckle-like stars, her face was simply bonny that even Kylo himself could not dismiss it. Added with an appealing figure dressed in the royal purple satins of the New Empire, the unfathomable woman -  _ girl _ , actually, if Kylo were to look closely - looked utterly stunning.

Hux cleared his throat as he began his descent from the throne and towards the mysterious young female. “It looks like I need not explain myself any further.”

Averting his gaze from the prepossessing girl, Kylo quickly asked, clearly not caring for even acknowledging their new guest: “What are you talking about, Hux?”

“Oh, it’s simple to understand, O’ Great Master of Ren.” Grabbing the girl closer to him, Hux gently stroked her, almost like a person would towards a cat, with the girl responding almost immediately to his touch. “I'd like to introduce to you the Jewel of the New Empire, Mireyana Hux, my beloved little sister and…”

Something gutted inside of Kylo’s chest with the way that Hux was introducing her slowly that he confessed to himself,  _ I have a bad feeling about this _ .

With a gleam so vivid in his eyes, Hux referred back to Kylo. “Your lovely bride-to-be.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clearing his throat, Hux then took a deep breath as he smiled to Kylo. “As I was saying, Lord Ren, I… truly believe that this is the beginning of a new era. History shall have its eyes upon a new legacy from a new and powerful family.” 
> 
> “Look, with all due respect, Your Majesty, I fail to see as to why am I to agree to this arrangement?”
> 
> The princess who now stood beside him, spontaneously looked up towards Kylo with eyes blazing, in what Kylo assumed to be, of complete shock, like they were screaming to him, “You dare question the Emperor?!” 
> 
> Her brother, however, gave Kylo a rather calming chuckle in return. “Oh, Ren, you were always such a tease.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, I would like to thank everyone who has left views, kudos and amazing comments that have helped and motivated me to do my best and write more for my readers, and on time too (I tend to leave things past their due). Again, would like to thank my beta, @LadyLionhart, for her wonderful assistance in making sure things sounds a-ok, as well as @Meaghan M (Juulna) for her superb writer wisdom. Thank you all and enjoy this chapter.

“My what?”

“His what?!” 

Their voices of bewilderment brought forth nothing short but a curl to Hux’s lips. “Well, what seems to be the matter?”

Kylo narrowed his eyes to the emperor. “Well, for starters, I was not even aware that we had a princess. Why was she not known to the public sooner? Why was  _ I _ not introduced to her earlier?”

“Oh my, am I hearing jealousy from you, Ren?” Hux teased with a pleasing smile which Kylo did not take lightly of.  

“I suggest you start explaining yourself,  _ Your Majesty _ . I am not in the mood to play any of your tricks.” 

Bored with his reaction, Hux sighed and drawled. “If you really must know, it’s all in the name of protection and security. Logically, with Mireyana safely kept as a secret, no harm could ever befall upon her and… well, threaten her for my crown. Can’t take what doesn’t exist. Of course, there are those important enough to know that my darling sister is more than just hearsay.”

“And I am to assume I am now one of those important people.”

“Well done, Ren, you’re finally catching up,” Hux sarcastically clapped.

“But let us skip the details, shall we?” He proceeded to say. “And think about the bigger picture instead; a union between the Force and the New Empire. A new aeon of greatness and legacy.  _ Our  _ new legacy.”

“And what does a legacy have to do with marrying  _ her _ , then?’

Hux snapped and hissed. “Patience, Lord Ren, I have yet to finish my sentence if you would so kindly allow it.”

“Um... brother,” the girl muttered. “There must be some misunderstand--” yelping, she was promptly quieted as Hux instantly stiffened his grip on her arm. Along with a stern gaze, he signalled for her to go stand somewhere further, but also close by. 

Clearing his throat afterwards, Hux then took a deep breath as he focused back onto Kylo. “As I was saying… by marrying my sister, Ren, history shall have its eyes set upon a more formidable family of Skywalkers and, of course, Hux’s. With the galaxy seeing many a foe for us in its future, would it not make sense for us to stand against them together.” 

“And with all due respect,” Kylo intervened, “I still fail to see as to why I am to agree to this arrangement? The truce was made for a  _ very _ good reason.”

The princess behind him spontaneously looked up with eyes blazing in, what Kylo assumed to be, complete shock as if they were screaming to him, “You dare question the _Emperor?!_ ” 

Her brother, on the other hand, gave Kylo a rather charming chuckle in return. “Oh, Ren, surely you cannot be this dense. This isn’t about us literally coexisting with one another. I certainly can’t.” 

Kylo couldn’t almost believe it. The Emperor - no,  _ Hux  _ \- laughing? Was this some sort of spite?

“No,” he continued, “this is about us creating the most quintessential image of fear to those who dare oppose us.” 

“And --” coming a lot closer to downright  _ purring _ into Kylo’s ear, Hux whispered “-- I don’t know about you, but I rather enjoy the time spent working with you. Especially after --” unexpectedly placing his hand on Kylo’s chest, Hux leisurely began to trail his fingers down “-- what  _ we _ had. And I should warn you though, my men are exceptionally trained, fully capable to hunt you and your little Knights down, should the need arise. I will not hesitate to use them.”

Kylo instinctively grabbed Hux’s hand before he could proceed any further. “Then do not mistake me either, Your Majesty,” turning to glare deeply at the red-headed ruler, Kylo chafed the opening tip of his lightsaber to Hux’s hip. “For I too will not hesitate to kill you  _ myself _ if you ever threaten me or my men again. I suggest you be grateful that our  _ agreement  _ has stopped me from doing so.”

The young princess, still standing so quietly nearby, loudly gasped as close guards went to pointless defensive stances. Regardless, Hux, despite the bold choices of words and actions from Kylo, simply offered a small smile and reassuringly waved to the others. 

“You’re right,” he replied. “For the first time, you are absolutely right. However, if I were you now, Ren, which I am gratefully not, I wouldn’t want to get your  _ mother _ killed too, now would I?”

A pause. Eyes widening, Kylo began loosening his clutch around him. “What did you do?”

“Now why would I tell you that? It would just ruin all the fun.”

Kylo subsequently tried looking into Hux’s mind, to see if this had all been a ruse to mess his mind up. Unusually, Hux had his barriers lowered, allowing for Kylo to see the truth of it for himself. 

_ It wasn’t. _ Although, how Hux managed to capture the most important, and heavily guarded person of the Resistance, was a detail that remained purposefully shadowed to Kylo’s mental inquiries. 

Through his eyes, Kylo saw the one person whose memories of her were unsuccessfully buried off long ago, in his mind. And although she had been a nemesis of the First Order, being one of the respected generals behind the Resistance, she was also the very same blood of which he had descended from and was the woman that had provided him the happiest - albeit scarce - reminiscences of his childhood. She had looked considerably older since he last saw her, though it was very clear from the rare glimpses that she had not lost her fierce determination. 

Seeing that his own thoughts were taking on an undesired and dangerously emotional drift, Kylo swiftly withdrew from Hux’s mind and focused his glare on the Emperor. 

Aware of the Knight’s mental probing and pleased to see a reaction stirred, whilst ignorant of its true nature, Hux continued pressing on. “If it eases you,” he said, “not much was done to the General. I highly think _you_ should be very much grateful that our agreement has stopped me from doing so... much... more.”

What was once a visible shade of brown, Kylo’s eyes soon became deeply hooded, his grip on Hux’s hand beginning to grow even tighter. 

Naturally, Hux pulled away from likely harm, soothing the bruise that now adorned his wrist. “Think of it this way. I’m only doing what’s best for the both of us here, Ren,” Hux clarified. “If not for me, then do it for the greater good of the Empire. We certainly don’t want a repeat of the  _ last time _ .”

“Although,” Hux paused to ponder. “now that I  _ really _ think about… By killing off one of the most influential republican leaders, I’d say you’ll be doing the Empire a great favour already. To that,  _ please _ , by all means, reject my terms.”

Kylo found himself at a loss of words. 

Irrationally, he felt anger and disappointment rising towards his mother, once again conditioning his decision and choice, of how she could have simply let herself be captured like that. With the twisted situation he was currently stuck into, however, Kylo attempted to detach himself from such thoughts, while also contemplating on the political repercussions.

He eventually found himself selfishly agreeing with the fact that losing said influential leader would only send the already dying revolution into a state of desperation. It would only be a matter of time until they would surrender themselves and stop with their madness of a better world without the Empire.

But then, a very small part of him - the one he kept on denying for many years - had silently reminded him of when and how he felt about having betrayed, and now killing, his own family. First with his-- with  _ Han _ and now… 

To this, Kylo knew that deep down, he would never be able to harm his mother, much less eliminating her. This thought alone sealed his resolve. 

Slow and steadily, Kylo hung his head in defeat. 

“I’ll do it.”

“Excellent.” Hux smugly grinned. “I knew you couldn’t refuse. Soon, the people shall know of your engagement. A fortnight from now and you two --” Hux distinctively pointed to both his sister and Kylo “-- are to be married.” 

In conformity, Kylo gave a slight nod of his head. “If there is nothing left to be discussed, I shall take my leave now. Your Majesty.”

Before he could even take another step further, Hux exclaimed to him, “I believe you’re forgetting something, Lord Ren.”

Kylo turned back. He saw Hux smiling rather triumphantly as he pushed his sister forward. “Aren’t you going to propose to her? Surely you, the son of Leia Organa, have not forgotten a simple etiquette such as a simple proposal? And they say I’m barbaric.”

Kylo discerned the girl, having completely forgotten her presence already. She was so small, so pliant and so docile that he had not even considered about her while thinking of the implications to accepting Hux’s deal or not. She looked so tame and obedient, a vast difference than her brother.

Not wanting to prolong into an unneeded argument, Kylo acted in accordance by making his way back to the silent damsel. Upon reaching her, he suddenly realised how small she was as compared to his own towering height and build. Easily swallowed up, she looked so…  _ fragile _ .

Recalling the reason why he was there, however, shook Kylo back into his former stoic state. This was of a serious matter, and here he was thinking of such things. Reminded of his duty, Kylo, for some inexplicable reasons, moved to carefully take the small princess’s hand into his much larger one.

“Your… Highness,” he began. “Will you--”

“For the Maker’s sake, Ren, get on your knees.”

Sending a sharp look at the Emperor, Kylo thought better and obliged, lowering himself to one knee. “Your Highness,” he resumed, “will you please… do me the honor of accepting my hand in matrimony?”

While most ladies would swoon and sing their hearts out in scenarios like so, the princess had just stood there, silent and unsure. “I… I…”

She was stunned, speechless - mind you, not in a good way -  and was struggling with her words. Nevertheless, she came about and eventually regained herself to firmly reply with a straight “I do.”

“Then it is settled.” Getting up, he faced her one more time. “By fortnight, we shall be husband and wife. I look… forward to our wedding.”

A blush appeared upon her cheeks. “Yes, as do I.”

Behind them, Hux scoffed rather loudly which they both seemed to have ignored. Kylo then made his way to bid them both farewell: “Until then. Your Majesty. Your Highness.” 

At a certain distance, however, Hux had stopped him once more. He gently murmured into his ear. “You may be marrying to my sister, Ren, but that doesn’t change anything between us. You will always belong to me first.” 

_ You will always be mine _ . 

Words spoken so long ago, yet rushed back in an instant, it sent a terrible thrill down Kylo’s spine as though they were once again whispered against the nape of his neck. The emperor, nonetheless, was beaming with great pride. “I look forward to your wedding, Ren, and may the Empire prosper to you.”

Glaring one last time, Kylo pushed himself through. “May the Empire prosper.” And with that, Kylo Ren was gone.

************************************************

As the doors closed behind Kylo Ren, Mireyana immediately confronted her brother who was looking about ready to return to his chambers. “What marriage are you talking about, brother?” She cried. “I was not informed that there would be one, much less one of mine.”

“Well, Mirey,” Hux let out a heavy breath, almost sighing out of suspicious relief, “a plan has come up and that plan is for you to marry Lord Ren. It is as simple as that.”

“But why?” Mireyana asked as she attempted to keep up with him. “I hardly know that man and he seems to not know much about me as well.”

Irritated, Hux’s gaze abruptly turned cold. Slowly turning towards his sister, the man advanced onto her like a stalking predator. "I hope that this is not you questioning my authority, Mirey." 

Mireyana, who did not understand her brother’s desire to end the conversation, persisted on. "I'm only questioning your objectivity here, brother."

Silently glaring at his sister, Hux heavily breathed in, his fist tightly clenched. “Mirey, kindly go back into to your room. It appears that you may need to be taught a lesson about keeping your mouth  _ shut _ ."

Mirey queried her brother’s sudden change. “A lesson? But brother, I didn’t -- Aah!”

Hux glowered, eyes flashing into thin slits, as his palm directly met the side of her face. “Your impudence and insolence disturbs me, Mirey. For this --” he grabbed a handful of her hair, which Mirey bawled in response to “-- you will be punished and taught to know better.”

“Ah-- Please, brother, I didn’t mean to --”

“ _ Silence _ !” Hux pushed her down. “Now… go and wait for me in your room. You will be taught what it means to question me like that ever again.”

Mirey remained silent, save for a few small whimpers. 

“NOW!”

Quickly gathering herself and her fallen headpieces from the floor, Mireyana ran with her head down and her hand placed above her stinging cheek. No matter how hard she tried to keep it all in, her tears would not stop themselves as they trickled down her face.  

Hux, on the other hand, smirked in success. Tucking in his dress shirt and readjusting his white collar shirt, hands clasped behind his back, he turned towards the balcony view of his capital city.   
  
“Well then…” he said, “that had gone better than I expected.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FYI: I'll try to update as soon as I can, mostly on weekends. But please, I would like to know what day is an update more preferable to have on? Let me know in the comments below.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mirey sighed, the steam from the sonic-shower fogging nearby glasses, as she prompted herself that she was not one to be complaining of her state. Comparatively with those low and unfortunate, she was living a life of luxury, where all she had to do was to simply ask. In fact, just thinking about anything that she desired, and down it would come, raining from the skies if it were possible. That was what her life was; a complete dream and she mustn't lament on it. 
> 
> After all, she owes him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is where the story gets its so called M rating...
> 
> WARNING: This chapter has INCEST elements and spanking. I repeat, there is INCEST spanking and dirty thoughts involved. Please leave if this doesn't suit you.  
> ....
> 
> P.S: I know this is a little early but I may have to put MEP on hold, just for 2 weeks or so, due to school exams coming up, hope you all understand. I'll try to have two updates to make it up to you but NO promises. Anyways, hope you all enjoy this ^_^

Everything. She has everything, and yet she has nothing. It’s almost like that bad dream that she keeps having. Those dreams of a childhood filled with loneliness, desolation and solitude. Dreams where she’s always scavenging to survive. That was what this was. What it felt like. Complete sadness.

_ No!  _

But why was she feeling so sad inside? 

She’s a sister - granted, more of a half-sister - to an emperor of immense power. She mustn't let something as trivial as a nightmare make her question everything of her current life. 

Yet, Mirey knew that there was something more to it than just that. 

_ Come back! _

And then she paused. Mirey - as what Hux liked to call her - was short for Mireyana. That was her name. The very same name that represented who she was. Who she must be. A reminder that this was how she was to live as a princess, to always uphold her duties and loyally serve her emperor, no matter what the cost may be. 

It just doesn’t feel too right, though.

_ No! _

Mirey sighed, the steam from the sonic-shower fogging nearby glasses, as she prompted herself that she was not one to be complaining of her state. Comparatively with those low and unfortunate, she was living a life of luxury, where all she had to do was to simply ask. In fact, just thinking about anything that she desired, and down it would come, raining from the skies if it were possible. That was what her life was; a complete dream and she mustn't lament on it.  

After all, she owes  _ him _ .

_ No…  _

Him. Her one true saviour.

The Imperial Majesty of The New Empire, the Bringer of Starkiller, the Ultimate Fate of all his Enemies, Emperor Armitage Hux, her  _ brother _ .

A smile stretched itself upon her face as her hand slowly reached up onto the small, leather chain around her neck. This crystal pendant had been gifted to her by Hux on the day that he found her washing away in the slums of a broken city, after news had reached him that he have had a younger sister this whole entire time. 

As it turned out, his mother, after years in exile, had given birth to a second child unbeknownst to both him and his birth father, Brendol Hux, and was said to had then died of childbirth. 

That child was undoubtedly Mirey herself. Information regarding her biological father, however, remained as unsolved as the workings of the Force.

Hux then gave Mirey the necklace as a token of joyous union between brother and sister, a sign that Mirey knew was of a much larger significance. That unlike his own father, Hux would accept and cherish Mirey for who she was, not for who he wanted her to be. Because of this, Mirey would not even take the necklace out for sleep or a shower - after she was assured by Hux that it had a high durability, of course. 

She owed everything to this man; this fiery red-headed man who could destroy planets with a mere wave of his hand. 

Oh, and just the mere thought of even one of those clean hands upon her skin trailed a shiver down her spine. Closing her eyes, Mirey wondered what it was like to have him just holding her there, touching her, feeling her…  _ loving  _ her.

Alas, Mirey knew that these things would only come to exist in her dreams. Nevertheless, deep down in her heart, Mirey continued to hope for a time when she and her brother would live happily together, free of any worries and concerns. Just the two them, forever. 

But now, with this sudden marriage to a complete stranger - and a stranger as obscured as the Dark Knight, himself - how could her wishes ever come true? 

And to think that fate would choose for her the one man who had not only taken away all her fantasies, but already embodied all of her dear brother’s attention... As much as she did not believe in the Force, the circumstances seemed a little too… coincidental. Regardless, in any case, Mirey tried to see things her brother would in situations like so.

Having heard his name countless of times before - from talks between servants, if not once or twice from Hux himself - Mirey knew that Kylo Ren had been a notorious warrior who fought alongside her brother against the former Supreme Leader and the Resistance, which instantly made them a force to be reckoned with.

Additionally with the fact that he was currently the Master of the Knights of Ren, and a force-user at that, it would make sense for her brother to arrange such a political arrangement for her; it was all a ploy of power over any opposing parties that may lie within a society of questionable loyalties.

_ Let that be true, I suppose _ , Mirey thought to herself. Still, that didn’t change the fact that Mirey would rather die alone than to be with a man who was not her brother. Learning from experience, there were only so many people you could trust and rely on, especially with those who hide behind a mask.

And yet, it never did occur to Mirey that Kylo Ren could be so… so…  _ striking _ inside. She had always assumed his face to be charred and old, just like his slanderous grandfather, Darth Vader, was stated to be. But after seeing him for the first time without the protection of that infamous symbol of fear, Mirey could see that she had been acutely wrong about him. 

In fact, he was even, dare she say it,  _ attractive _ , albeit in a unusual way. If she had to be honest though, the most shocking fact was that she had been able to see the  _ man _ concealed behind that dark display. It always had been rumoured that behind that metallic mask of his had lied a face rivaling that of an angel. 

It was at this moment when the door to her room suddenly slammed wide open, faltering Mirey and interrupting her reverie. Turning off the shower, she quickly grabbed onto the nearest towel, decently drying and immediately covering herself. 

_ He  _ was here, and knowing him, he was not one to wait patiently.

*******************************************************

Small wisps of grey smoke filtered the air as Hux overviewed the capital city’s lights that flashed over his metropolis. His gaze flicked in between the highways of buzzing traffic and subjects roaming the streets. This was what he lived for; the control and power that dominated everything he saw. From the simple will of his citizens, to the management of cargo and trade goods, Hux relished in it all. 

Placing his cigar back between his lips, he then proceeded to evaluate today’s success.

It was so typical of Ren. Deep down, always ready to agree, always ready to comply. So ever the obedient one. And speaking of obedience, it would appear a certain someone of his had not been very well behaved.

“Brother?”

_ And here she was _ . Hux turned to face his inquisitor. 

Long, brown matted hair was flattened against her face as liquid crystallines of water cascaded down her petite, toweled figure. Fidgeting on the spot, her hands started playing with the leather band that was based on her very smooth and lithe neck with the crystal glowing like a star in the middle. 

Hux licked his lips at the sight.  _ Just perfect _ , he thought. Remembering both their places, however, kept Hux on his hard façade of ice.

“Are you still mad at me…” Mirey meekly asked. 

“Mad? Oh no, no, no, Mirey. I’m not mad at all.” 

He watched as she dared breathed herself a sigh of relief

“I’m  _ furious _ .” 

Taking long strides, Hux soon found himself right in front of her. “Do you have any idea of what you just did? Any idea at all?”

Mirey shook her head.

Hux scoffed. “I thought so.” Settling down on a nearby couch, with his right leg rested above his knee, a hand supporting his head on the armrest, Hux scrutinized Mirey over with deep, thoughtful eyes. 

A pregnant pause grew between the two siblings. It became so quiet that Hux swore he could hear the water dripping down his dearest little sister. It was actually getting quite annoying. Luckily, Mirey intervened.

“If this is about Lord Ren,” she said, “then I… I… I don’t want to be his wife.”

Upon hearing her reply, Hux immediately turned to look directly at her. “What?” He hissed.

Mirey swallowed. “I… I don’t want to marry Kylo Ren, Hux. I just want to be at home... with you.”

With breaths lowered, and time moving slower, Mirey watched, with slight unease, as her brother sternly fixated his gaze over her. 

She continued. “Is there anything I could do instead… to make big brother change his mind?” 

Flitting her eyes up, Mirey peered towards him like an innocent doe. This, Hux admitted, was something that not even he could turn away from. Nonetheless, she had misbehaved and had dared to question his decision. For that, she had to be punished. So, Hux beckoned her forward to answer her.

Mirey steadily took small, cautious steps ahead, but not before Hux stopped her with a simple  _ tut-tut _ . “Take that off first,” he ordered.

Fully aware of his meaning, Mirey lifted her hands to the top edge of her towel. Slowly, like she had intended to, Mirey cleaved open the towel, partly exposing her perky breasts and the soft skin of her shaven cunt, before immediately trying to cover them with her hands. 

“Ah-ah,” Hux continued, “you know the rules.”

Wary of disobeying him, Mirey dropped both her hands to stand like a regal princess would.

“On your knees.”

Mirey stared straight to her brother. “But brother, the floor is--”

“On. Your. Knees.” 

Doing as what she was told, Mirey slowly positioned herself well on all fours to avoid the discomforting cold of the marble floor. 

Though he did not show it, deep down, Hux couldn’t ignore the rise of possessiveness in him, the growl as he watched his little sister like that. The urge to just stand up and fuck her, there and then, was becoming unbearable. 

He knew that he had to take a hold of himself, to control his actions; it would not do well for him to crush the complete and blind trust his sister had long granted him. But at the same time, he felt an irrational need to discipline her, to dominate her more. To remind her of who she needed to please. Because, ultimately, everything was always under his rule, his word, his law.

“Good,” he said to her. “Now, dear little sister, be a good girl and tell me: what have you done wrong today?”

“I…” Mirey was really trying to recall just what it was that made him  _ this _ mad at her. He’s never really been like this before. Maybe it had something to do with Lord Ren? Mirey knew better though, on her shaky limbs, that she would have to give him an answer sooner or later - preferably sooner.  “I… have questioned big brother?”

It was not supposed to be a question and Mirey knew it. It appeared that Hux did as well and was not very pleased about it. 

“Indeed, Mirey,” he said. “And by doing so, you have shamed and disappointed me. Haven’t I taught you enough?”

_ Taught? _ Mirey wondered. 

Hux scoffed in the distance, almost like he could hear her thoughts, tugging Mirey out of her reverie. Placing his cigar back onto its tray, Hux then unfolded his legs and called out to her. “It seems you are in need of some discipline, Mirey.” 

Motioning her forward with haste, Hux roughly grabbed onto her, bending her over his knee with her bare ass lined out for him. Mirey shivered in turn as Hux gently squeezed her firm buttocks, rubbing over the soft globes of her skin. It was almost like a switch had flipped inside of him. 

Hardening his grasp on Mirey’s waist, Hux landed a hard blow to her bum, the sting of which immediately rushed through waves of shock, pain, and indefinite pleasure within Mirey.

“That,” said Hux, “was for questioning me, little sister.”

Another.

“That was for humiliating me.”

Another. 

“And that was for even considering the idea of of defying my orders.”

Another came for indifference. And another, and another, and another.

As each slap reddened her rear even darker, Mirey was unable to hold onto her sensations any longer; she simply had to let it all out. Before she could stop herself further, Mirey let out a deep moan, her deepest yet, her juices flowing and slipping through the digits of Hux’s fingers.

“And what do we have here?” He twirled the clear liquid around his hand, observing it like it was some sort of precious find. Mirey shivered at the thought.

With eyes casted aside, however, Hux unexpectedly pushed her off. Mirey was ultimately greeted once more with the unwelcoming cold of the alabaster floor, falling unceremoniously from her brother’s lap. Glancing back at him in hope that perhaps he may have changed his mind, Mirey was instead received by the intense lour of her brother.

“You will be married to Lord Ren whether you like it or not, Mirey,” Hux stated, “and that is my  _ final _ decision.”

Shortly afterwards, looking almost  bored and highly irritated with her, Hux ordered her to go and leave him be. 

Mirey had intended to persuade him once again, but seeing as how things had turned out the way they did, she needed no more reason to leave the room at once; when her brother gave her orders, those orders were expected to be heeded, even if he was actually ordering to leave her own bedroom. There were always the extra beds in the guest rooms, if that was the problem.

And as she walked away, the door slowly closing behind her, Hux replaced his cigar, leisurely sucking all the bittersweet euphoria that lied within. Glancing to the world - _ his  _ world - Hux perused his intrigue. Everything was going as according to plan. The only step now was to wait for his heir. 

Smirking to this eventual success, Hux then reached out for another one of his cigar sticks. 

And then,  _ it _ happened.

Like lightning, the pain blasted right through him abruptly, searing what felt to be like his inner skin. His heart reacted into constricted pain, hurting Hux from the inside out with every new beat that it made. With his face screwed into total grimace, Hux clenched his chest to, at the very least, ease the pain just long enough for him to get his pills out.

Locating them at last, Hux then gripped the razor edge of the bottle’s cap, hurriedly pouring himself a single trouche of the liquid inside, which he immediately ingested with all he that could from his agony, and forced it down his throat.

It was unbearable but essential. It was careless of him to have forgotten to take one earlier on. Wheezing, Hux inadequately steadied himself against the window pane of the balcony. “That was too close.”

Indeed it was, for a mere moment later, without this precaution, his whole progress would have all been for naught. Despite that, it would seem the attack had its effect after all. _Well_ , he thought, _I’ve_ _always loved wearing gloves_.  
  
It became quite clear to Hux now that he would have to act quickly. The sooner the plan succeeded, the better; for it was only a matter of time before the concealment would wear out. Although, taking into consideration that he now had two force-users at his disposal, Hux grinned to the notion that after all these years, he would finally achieve his eternal supremacy.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It had been almost two weeks since his call to the Emperor and of his unforetold engagement to the princess, that he had never known to have had even existed. Which meant that he only had a single day left as a bachelor. Perhaps, as he mused himself, the vision had served as a reminder on his feelings of matrimony. Getting married to a complete stranger was bound to end in disaster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So apparently there was some criticism for my characterisation of "Rey" in the previous chapter. I would like to firstly say that at the moment, Mirey is NOT Rey from TFA. This story is in an AU where Rey, who is named as Mirey, has lived in a castle with wonderful luxuries for the last few years since Hux had found her. Seeing as how she was also mostly isolated from the world for "protection and security" by Hux, the only people she ever saw was Hux and some of her maids that are trusted of by Hux. I repeat, Mirey is NOT Rey. That's why she is called like that. I'll make sure to put stronger warnings the next time too. Hope this have cleared some of the air away, and please, enjoy this chapter.
> 
> Also, I just like to imagine that the Alderaanian language is like french. Apologies if my spelling is wrong. 
> 
> Would also like to thank @Meaghan M (Juulna) for allowing me to use her amazing character Savat Ren from Codega for being one of my knights. Other than that, enjoy!

_ Leia sighed as she gathered the Republicans’ plans and administration lists, shuffling them together into a neat but heavy pile. As a senator, she expected the workload to be much. But it had never occurred to her that it was going to be  _ this  _ much. Hair frizzled and out of place in her everyday braid, it was a wonder how she was able to keep her sanity. _

_ “Mom?” _

_ Leia turned around to see her nine year old son as frazzled as she was, and clearly out of bed. _

_ “Ben, sweetie, what are you doing up this late?” she asked. “You have an early day tomorrow with your Uncle Luke.” _

_ Ben remained silent. From experience, Leia knew his silence never meant anything good. “Ben?” _

_ “Is Dad coming home soon?” _

Oh… this again.  _ Leia knew she shouldn’t be so surprised. And yet, she didn’t want to be responsible for breaking his heart again. “No, Ben,” she answered. “Your father is just… busy. But I’m sure he’ll turn up. Eventually.” _

_ Ben stared at the ground. “But Dad promised he’d to take me to see the Falcon,” he said. “That he’ll take me to places and that I… I could even drive it too… He’d promised that… He promised… ” _

_ Sobs echoed the area, and Leia was immediately on her feet to comfort her crying son. She gently rubbed his back, soothing the weeping boy with hushed words and a soft voice, promising him that everything would soon turn out for the better. “Please, don’t cry, Ben. I’d hate to see you like this. Look, I promise to make it up to you. But… right now, please go back to sleep. I have a lot of work to do and I--” _

_ One look at her son’s face, however, made Leia realise that this was no small matter to him. It was his birthday, for the Maker’s sake, and the one person he’d hoped would show up had denied him that wish. Kriff paperwork, her son  _ needed _ her. _

_ Releasing a long breath, Leia cupped her son’s head endearingly while placing a sweet kiss upon his forehead. “Come on, I’ll tuck you in.” _

_ Taking Ben’s hand into hers, Leia led them both back into his room. Adorning the walls were posters of the New Republic and notable X-wings pilots - shame to know her son wasn’t much of a fan of the Jedi. Ben then reluctantly prepared for bed as Leia made sure he got himself comfortable. _

_ “Mom,” Ben called. “Why do you stay with Dad? Why don’t you just leave him already? You hardly spend any time together, and when you do, you’re always arguing with each other.” _

_ “Well,” Leia pursed her lips, wondering how best to explain to a child, “because that’s just what love is.” _

_ Ben stared at her in utmost confusion. “Love?” _

_ “Why, of course, Ben. Love is… strange, you see.” _

_ Leia realised that Ben was still very much in doubt of it. It was then she remembered what Luke had told once, as spoken by his mentor, Ben Kenobi. “Think of it like the Force, Ben,” she proceeded to say, “it works in many different ways. It's… an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us... penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together,” Leia smiled as she recalled those good times when she, Han and Luke had gathered happily together after the destruction of the Death Star. “That, is why I married your father.” _

_ “Yes, but... why?” _

_ “Because I love him, that’s why. Just like I do with you. You’ll better understand when you’re older, and married, lest you want to follow in your uncle’s footsteps.” _

_ Ben huffed. “Maybe I should. I mean, girls are so boring and I… I don’t want to fight like you and Dad always do.” _

_ “Well, you may say that now, son, but trust me, soon you’ll fall in love and get married yourself. It’s only a matter of time. Who knows, you might even give me some beautiful grandchildren.” Leia then pinched her son’s cheeks to further elaborate her point. _

_ “Aw, Mom,” Ben groaned. “I’m only nine!”  _

_ Leia, on the other hand, chuckled, much to her son’s chagrin. Slowly, so did he. Before they both knew it,  _ _ they were contentedly laughing together like any mother and son would do _ _. Gradually, the two were able to calm down.  _

_ “Mom?” _

_ “Yes, dear.” _

_ “Does Dad…” _

_ Leia waited with bated breath. _

_ “... not love me anymore?” _

_ “What? Of course he does, sweetie, just... in his own way, that’s all. Why would you think that? Look, Ben, you may not see it now, but your father loves you very much.  _ We _ love you, so, so, very much. No matter what, we will always love you and be there for you.” _

_ “Promise?” _

_ Leia smiled. “Promise.” _

_ Knowing his mother, Ben had a feeling that this was not one that she would break as easily as his father did. And so, warmth filled his heart to know that at least one of his parents loved him. _

_ “You know…” Leia continued , “I’ve heard from Mrs. Speral that you have been improving your counting in Alderaanian. Care to show me?” _

_ A blush of embarrassment spread itself upon Ben’s cheeks. “But I’ve only got up until nine.” _

_ “Then nine will do. Besides, my boy is also nine too, isn’t he?” _

_ Ben nodded. Sitting, he outstretched his fingers as he began counting.  _ _ “Un... deux... trois... quatre... cinq... six... sept... huit...” _

***********************************************************************************

“Enough! The both of you, stop it right now!”

Kylo Ren was immediately thwarted back into the present as his third in command, Chaol Ren, withheld a knight from another at arm's length in the center of the combat ring. He was accompanied by Uhur Ren, Kylo’s sixth.

_What was that?_ Kylo wondered, thinking back to his… Force vision. It had been a while - years even - since he’d last dreamed of his past, especially of his mother…

It had been almost two weeks since his call to the Emperor and of his unforetold engagement to the princess, that he had never known to have had even existed. Which meant that he only had a single day left as a bachelor. Perhaps, as he mused himself, the vision had served as a reminder on his feelings of matrimony. Getting married to a complete stranger was bound to end in disaster.

Seeing as how it was probably just another unexpected Force perception, Kylo pushed it aside and decided to settle what was causing the current commotion. From the looks of it, identified by the tawny, close-cropped hairstyle that one of the restrained knights had, Kylo deduced that another fight had been provoked by Vex’in Ren. Again. 

“What is the meaning of this?” Kylo demanded. His mind was still swirling at the abrupt shift to corporeality, but that didn’t stop him from standing his ground and resolving conflict between comrades like any leader would.

“It’s nothing, Master,” Chaol replied. “ It’s just another one of Vex’s tantrums again, that’s all.”

“MY TANTRUM?!” Vex glowered. “You’re only saying that, Chaol, because this bitch here is your  kriffing slut!”

The other knight in the captivity of Uhur, with the striking pink skin, Lyne Ren, retorted back to Vex. “You’re just jealous that Val likes me better than he ever will with you, ya’ clingy sissy.”

“At least  **I** don’t fuck my way through, you pathetic whore!”

Lyne was quick to resort to her weapon, the sai, at the remark, but remained held back by Uhur. Surprisingly, although not quite to Kylo, Chaol allowed Vex’s little comment to pass through instead. Alternatively, he warned her. “I suggest you take that back this instant, Vex.”

“Why? So that you and pussylips here can go have some fun? Yeah, like kriffing bantha-shit I would.”

Suddenly, without warning, silence enveloped the gym as the Force entangled itself around Vex’s neck.  Chaol peered straight into Vex's eyes as he raised his hand, elevating her into a more suffocating height . “I hope that you are not questioning  _ my _ authority, Vex’in.”

To this, Kylo knew he had to step in soon, before things got entirely out of hand. 

“That’s enough, Chaol,” he said. “Let her go.”

For a moment, Chaol seemed almost unconvinced to do so. Kylo cautioned him again until finally, he releases Vex’in. The younger knight gasped for air as she was set free. Heaving, she glared intensely at Chaol, who was ultimately unfazed at all by her intimidations. In lieu of it, Chaol asked Kylo if he could be excused instead. 

Lyne, on the other hand, snickered upon Vexin’s struggle to breathe. “Who’s pathetic now?”

“Lyne!” 

With one final satisfying glance, Lyne smirked - to Vex’s utmost disgust - and skipped over to her partner. The rest of the group began to do the same, leaving only Kylo and Vex to remain in the training arena.

“Vex,” Kylo offered his arm as to help Vex’in back onto her feet, “we need to talk.”

Expectedly, she swatted his hand away. “I don’t need your pity, Master. I can handle myself just fine.”

In other circumstances, Kylo would have raged and unleash his trademark fury upon those who dare spurn him, regardless of who that person may be. Today, however, was an exception which Vex’in did not observe. Instead, Kylo waited for the young knight  as she stood up and brushed aside invisible dust from her shoulders.

“The issue still remains, Vex’in, that your attitude would only hinder the rest of us, should you continue behaving like so. Especially on the battlefield. I won’t have any of my knights fighting amongst themselves and not functioning as a team.”

“It’s not my fault that everyone hates me, Master. Perhaps if I hadn’t been so lowly classified, my teammates would’ve shown me a little more respect.”

Kylo sighed. “We’ve discussed this, Vex’in. The decision had been made and my judgment is final. I can’t just give you a position merely because Val has one. His position was earned, and unless you start training harder, he wouldn’t want that of you either.”

Vex’in shook her head at the mention of her twin. “Master,” she solemnly spoke, “I ask that you do not speak about what my brother may want from me again. Ever. Don’t try and pretend you know what’s best for all of us.” 

As Kylo was about to respond to her that he was only looking out for his knights, Vex’in  stormed off without any other word . Again, Kylo should’ve penalized her for disregarding her master, but there was something that was holding him back. Rather, he decided that there were enough events for today, and that he needed rest.

Before he could walk away any further, however, Kylo paused. 

“What is it, Savat?”

Out of the shadows, his second, with scarlet red hues flaring past her shoulders, stepped out. “You’ve been awfully calm today, Master,” she said. “In fact, I think you’re becoming a little too soft as well. What happened?”

“Whatever are you talking about?” 

“ I'm talking about the fact that you’ve just let a subordinate right off the hook, after the way she had spoken to you. Clearly something is not right here, Master. Now tell me, what is it? ”

Savat was right. Kylo knew he couldn’t lie to her -  after all, she was the one who had trained him in his youth . But he felt it pointless to even try to describe his conflict to her. “It’s nothing, Savat, I--”

“Kylo.”

He looked at her.

“What happened with Hux?”

As always, she’ll somehow manage to figure him out. He respected her for that. Still, he didn’t want to bother her with his predicament. “Savat, it’s as I said,” he claimed. “There’s nothing much that you can do about it anyways.”

Savat sighed. “Is it about…  _ that _ ?”

Kylo froze, like he was suddenly overwhelmed by the Force. It took him a while to regain and suppress his turbulent rage from taking over . “Savat…” he drawled, “I thought I told you never to bring that up again.”

“So it is, isn’t it?”

“No, it  _ isn’t _ ,” Kylo gritted through his teeth. “The past is behind us and it will  _ stay _ there. I would very much prefer not to be reminded of it as well. If. You. Please.”

“Kylo, you can’t keep letting him do this to you. Hux has been controlling you from within your own mind ever since  _ you _ left  _ him _ . Don’t you think it’s time to confront what he did to you?”

“It’s not about what he did, Savat. It’s what he had already done… He has General Organa captive and detained.”

“Your mother? Maker… What does he want from you this time?” 

“I don’t know, Savat,” Kylo tiredly suspired. “All I know is that I am due to marry his sister tomorrow.”

Savat looked at him like he’d grown another head. “You, married? And a sister?”

“Yes. Apparently, Hux has been hiding her for who knows how long. He may have been hiding her throughout our time in the First Order. Whatever it is, the Supreme-- Snoke must have overseen it through, as implausible as it sounds.”

Savat scratched her chin. “I have heard rumours about a secret princess. I never thought it to be true. Guess I gave Hux less credit than he deserved.”

“Wait, you’ve heard rumours?”

“Why, yes. Mostly from the Outer Rim, that is.”

“And why wasn’t I notified of this earlier?”

Savat shrugged. “It was mainly a rumour. I’d figured it wouldn’t interest you at all.”

With a grunt, Kylo made a self-note to be more aware of any surrounding news. “Anything else that I should know of?”

“At the moment? No,” Savat replied. “Why do you think he’s doing this, though? Surely, if _Hux_ wants to marry you off to his _sister_ and not… shall we say, keep you for himself, there must be some sort of motive behind.” 

Kylo pinched his forehead in frustration. “I don’t know. What I do know is that I am left with no other choice.”

“Because he has your mom?”

“No, it’s not that. I just…” Kylo growled as he tried to explain.

To this, Savat gave an empathetic sigh. “Alright, you don’t have to say it. But please, Kylo, don’t let Hux overpower you again. Not after what happened. It’s just as you said to Vex’in: no Knight of Ren should be fighting amongst themselves, especially not from within. We work as a team. Do you understand that?”

Kylo briefly nodded. 

Savat then gave him a faint smile in return. “Good. Remember, the Knights of Ren are you brothers and sisters and you are our master. No matter what, we’ll be there for you.”

_ No matter what, we will always love you and be there for you… _

At the sudden reminder of those words, Kylo bore in mind a similar promise made by his mother, and look at where it turned out to be. Close-lipped, he puffed a breath of weariness while responding to his second with another simple nod. “Thank you, Savat.”

Content that her commander was at peace at last, though little it may be, Savat bowed her head under respect. “I’ll take my leave then, Master Ren. Don’t overwork yourself too much. Goodnight.” Savat then proceeded to head back into her dorm. 

But as Kylo was left alone again, in the dark, barely lit room, he couldn’t help but wonder whether he was ready to do this.

Kylo had once told himself - devoted even - that he would remain celibate and avoid any sort of attachment, ironically like a Jedi would. Not to mention, he had already learned the truth of the misconception known as love, as best displayed by his own parents. Why bother being chained to another to only scream and shout in disagreement. He didn’t want any of that.

But now he was faced with a dilemma. Now, Kylo was faced with the possibility of being torn apart by a decision that would overturn everything he’d lived and ever worked for.  
  
He could only pray that whatever being out there - the Maker, the Force, his  _ grandfather _ \- would just set him free of this pain. But alas, he must  see through this, even if he may lack the strength to do it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so I hope you enjoyed this quick double update. Sadly, I'll not be updating for awhile as I have school exams so I'll be very busy with that + I have to make sure I have a nice wedding chapter for you all, my dear readers ^_^ Wish me all the best. Till then, see you all soon. 
> 
> P.S If there is any comments regarding uneasiness and/or of any unsatisfaction, I don't mind to hear them but please pm me on my tumblr instead. Thank you (^^)


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After what seemed to be weeks worth of waiting, the day of ceremony had officially arrived.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because my usual beta is unavailable, and that I couldn't keep my readers (if I still have any that is) waiting any longer, please excuse the terrible grammar, overuse of some particular words and slight "unnecessary' exaggeration, like the clothes for example because I have a lack of knowledge for fashion description. Other than that, enjoy this late wedding :)

After what seemed to be weeks worth of waiting, the day of the ceremony had officially arrived. 

Mirey couldn’t believe that this was actually happening to her; that after so many years, she'd finally have the wedding to crown her happy little fairytale. Like every other little girl, she had always fantasised about the day when she would walk down the aisle, a beautiful bouquet in hand, with a charming groom, her knight in shining armour, waiting for her at the end of it all, just like in the holo-books she loved reading.

Yet,  _ this _ wasn’t that happy ending that she dreamed of wanting. In fact, it wasn’t even a wedding at all to her. No, to Mireyana, this walk would be like walking to the pits of Mustafar, with her shining knight replaced by only the darkest of forces. To Mirey, this was a sentence. A penalty. For what wrongs, she did not know.  Just thinking about it almost broke her heart.

“You look very beautiful, Your Highness,” a chirpy voice shattered Mirey from her rather depressing trance. She glanced down to meet the eyes of one of her maids, beaming at her like the waning of the moon. Why couldn’t Mirey be just as happy as she was? This was, after all, every girl’s dream come true. 

Always the polite princess, Mirey replied,“Why, thank you, Rozel. It’s not everyday a girl gets to be married.”

The maid smiled and continued her work on altering the lacy, long-sleeved wedding  [ dress ](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/57/ce/90/57ce90010e631ab04d46f71023c64a27.jpg) that was already perfect, with sequins around the corset twirling around her chest and back, and the ever present bell-domed skirt that encircled the lower half of her body. Mirey’s head had been additionally adorned with a shining tiara, much bigger than her usual ones, covering most of her head with gems, that stemmed a long train trailing right behind her. It was indeed a gown fit for blood of royal claim.

“Why,” said a rather familiar, yet dominant figure surprising behind her, “don’t you look exquisite?” 

Mirey turned to see her brother dressed as grand as she was, even more so for being the emperor - she always knew how much appearances mattered to him.  Showing her amenability , Mirey efficiently plastered a smile upon her face.

“Oh, Mirey,” Hux continued, “if only Mother could see you now, she’d be so proud.”

At the mention of their late mother, Mirey remained half-smiling. Granted, she had never met her once, but it still lingered in her heart to know that she had indeed had a motherly figure before. “You really think so?” She asked.

“Oh, dearest sister of mine, I know so. In fact, Mother would be so proud to know that her daughter is marrying one of the galaxy’s most powerful men… aside from me of course.” Hux ended the sentence almost smiling, the corners of his lips twitching upwards. 

While Mirey knew better to express amusement in front of her brother, she couldn’t help but feel herself crack once again at the notion that she would soon be married off. Was this really how her life had been meant to be this whole time? Was marriage the highest accomplishment she could aim at in her life?

“Your Majesty,” announced a nearby servant, interrupting Mirey’s thoughts “it is time.”

Hux gave Mirey one last look with a quick brush on her shoulders and a sweet chaste kiss on her cheek. “Make him happy, my dear.” 

Mirey  shuddered at the reminder of the meaning behind those words .  _ The wedding night _ . “It is my duty, after all,” she muttered under her breath whilst Hux took his leave, either oblivious or disregardful of it.

With him gone, Mirey was left to look back into the reflected eyes of an unhappy soul. She gave out a small breath. “A happy life is to be a happy wife.”

***********************************************************************************

In another set of rooms, Kylo Ren fidgeted uncomfortably underneath the layers of  [ the uniform ](http://31.media.tumblr.com/9f29eeb09b9dec352735b82fc5b6d99a/tumblr_n192vecxtM1saxt1bo1_1280.jpg) that donned his tall physique. Looking into the mirror, he saw a man he never thought he would ever see himself clothed in. While still dressed in a long-sleeved black coat, this one had been intricately designed with patterns and motifs all across the entire fabric, with his clean-shaven face ultimately bare of his mask.

After all this time,  that mask had been a garment of intimidation for Kylo, later on becoming an odd source of comfort, making himself almost unreadable to others. To now receive the sudden request to appear without it was not only disturbing, but was downright overwhelming. The unease he felt was mainly due to the fact that he would be standing before a crowd of possibly hundreds, perhaps even more, of sentient beings watching the feared Kylo Ren breaking his resolve from such a trifling matter such as marriage. 

If only his younger self could see him now: how laughable he must appear, subjected and forced into nothing but a groom.

The wedding itself was the quintessential representation of the rupture with his inner principles; it was everything against the idea his younger self had always tried to pursue, of a future without the constant watch of either his uncle or the former Supreme Leader over his shoulders. Finally allowed to choose his own path, back he goes to obey the commands of a proclaimed higher authority -  _ of Hux no less,  _ Kylo thought with disdain. Had the emperor been someone he truly respected, Kylo would not mind to serve him like his grandfather did with the once dreaded Emperor Palpatine.

Yet now, he played straight into Hux’s plot; another pawn to a superior’s game. 

Fortunately for him, a knock broke him from his reverie and self-deprecation. Opening the door came a man with a few small accessories carried out on his arms. Accompanying them was a flag, depicting what appeared to be an emblem of some kind. Glancing at it again, however, made Kylo take a mental step back. 

It was the emblem for the House of Organa; the same adopted house to which his mother belonged. However, it appeared there were some alterations to it.

“What is the meaning of this?” Kylo rasped quite angrily. The man looked at him amused, as if Kylo had made a novice mistake. 

“Why,” he replied, “do you not recognise the family of which you came from?”

Kylo snarled in return, irritated by the disrespectful tone. “I have no family. And even if I did, I’d be a Skywalker, not an Organa.”

“While that may be  _ true _ ,” the man heaved, “any son of the former Princess Leia is still a son of Organa, no matter what the bloodline may be. Besides, wouldn’t you biologically be a Solo instead?”

Hands clenched, Kylo proceeded to ignore the man’s forthcoming taunts. Instead, he asked on why he had to be robed in such displays.

“It is according to the old tradition,” the man continued, “that should two royal families unite in matrimony, each party are to present to their partner the flag of their royal insignia as a sign of peaceful unity between them  _ and _ to…” 

Kylo could have sworn the man was blubbering what sounded like another history lecture he had been forced to learn; he made an exasperated gesture, hoping the man would soon get to the point. 

“Seeing as how neither Skywalker nor Solo seem to possess one of their own, the emperor had appropriately designed an emblem such that it would represent the entirety of your family as Organa, Solo  _ and _ Skywalker,” the man finished, much to Kylo’s pleasure, attiring both his speech and Kylo’s garb at long last.

Had it not been for the years of keeping his outraged chagrin in check, Kylo was very much sure his infamous tantrums would likely show themselves at their best. Taking a deep breath, Kylo mediated his thoughts. 

As a child, Kylo never really understood what it meant to be in love and to be married off to someone, especially if said someone was a total stranger. A prime reason for that would be the relationship he witnessed between his very own parents. 

Even before being able to properly speak and communicate, the looks, gestures and attentions between his parents told him that his parents were in love; but it soon appeared that they were not suited for a constant commitment. There was always something keeping them apart, be it either his mother’s work as a senator, or his father’s smuggling traffics,trading away lost goods to maker knows where. There had been the constant arguments as well, that drove his father away from their home for long and undefined periods of time.

“My lord?”

Kylo looked back towards the servant, who in the meantime had finished his tasks. Kylo lowered his arms and took one final breath for his bachelorhood. “Shall we?”

***********************************************************************************

The scene was a sight of clamorous wonders. Walls and windows were carefully adorned with beautiful drapery, the ceilings were shining from the enormous chandelier. Guests had all seated themselves accordingly, the ladies engaged on the latest tales while the men discussed of recent politics; everything expected of a royal wedding.

Yet from where Kylo stood, it was just loud, noisy and claustrophobic. 

Unfortunately, at the announcement of his presence made by trumpets and a nearby servant, the crowd interrupted their ongoing conversations to turn their full attention to the knight.  All eyes were upon him, and Kylo knew he had to move sooner or later, lest he wanted to make a fool of himself.

Building up on what was left of his dignity, Kylo marched in a rather stiff manner. 

This was one of those moments where Kylo found himself wishing for some noise, something to distract the public from himself than the silence that had seemingly engulfed the entire room. Once he arrived, however, gone was the focus on Kylo as the guests all awaited for the bride.

All eyes were set on the grand portal that slowly opened revealing the white-dressed Jewel of the Empire. Gasps and whispers crossed the hall as the choir and organ began the march. The princess stood on the doorway, basking in the warm light of the late-afternoon sun that was visually behind her, like an angel. Shortly after, the emperor arrived to stand beside her and before the audience.

Standing proudly amongst the thousands of spectators witnessing such an eventful day, Hux’s robes were pressed, white and pristine, his crown radiating off a blinding gleam. It was his sister’s wedding, after all, so, as emperor, it was his duty to be in his very best. 

_ All as according to plan _ , he reassuringly said to himself. Looking forward to Kylo, however, whose face was excessively reserved and almost devoid of emotions for a celebration of union to look perhaps more suited for mourning, Hux puffed in frustration.  _ Perhaps not as entirely so _ . Nevertheless, the Knight was here and that was all that mattered.

Interlocking Mirey’s arm with his, the two royals began to stride towards the aisle, with the sounds of the organ keeping them at pace. The walk took almost an eternity for the young emperor, but only mere moments for Mirey, who found herself reluctantly taking her place beside her husband-to-be. The two shared a quick glance, the music dying until silence was upon them once again, before turning to face the royal officiator.

The celebration began with the traditional acknowledgements. “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the joining of Princess Mireyana Cordelia Hux and Master Kylo Ren of the Knights of Ren in holy matrimony of peace and unity for the prosperity of our great Empire and the union of…”

The speech seemed to drag itself for ages on both the bride’s and groom’s part. If anything, a simple “You are now husband and wife” would have been preferable to them  over this long, atrocious display of meaningless words for show. Walking through a crowd was bad enough, but to stand and listen to a never ending list of lies speaking of serenity and security only made them feel worse about the impending union.

It was only a matter of time before the dreaded “You may now kiss the bride”, was overheard. 

The two stilled like stone and ice. Trepidation began to fill their minds. This was it. This was the moment.

Apprehensively, Mirey turned her head to her partner, eyes searching for his in hopes that he too would understand that she could never offer him her love, that she was only doing this for the emperor, for her brother. It would appear that he was conveying the same message to her in return. 

With one deep breath and the close of her eyes, Mirey leaned in, as did he, and the two slowly met lips with the softest and chastest of kisses before swiftly pulling back from one another. 

With that kiss, their lives would no longer be the same ever again. With that kiss, their destinies were sealed. Nevertheless, the horde of guests in the room cheered for their union, ecstatic for the beginning of a new and glorious future.   
  
It was certainly not the case for Mireyana and Kylo. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for this very late, late update. I'm not going to say it mostly my exams' fault because honestly, it was actually because I lost my mojo and had gotten off track with this story. Frankly, I did not expect this fic to go far, but no. I'll try to do better next time. Speaking of which, if any of you like to beta, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Dark Monolith was widely known to be located in the purgatory planet of Mustafar and was the former lair to the terrifying Darth Vader. No one really knew why the Empire had taken control of it after the Clone Wars, but rumours fled that it was from this very planet of which Vader was chanced upon by Palpatine. To think that it would become the headquarters of the Knights of Ren was… well, pretty much expected on Mirey’s part.
> 
> If the rest of the Knights were anything like Lord Ren, it would be no surprise to her if they were comfortable living in such an area.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The character of Savat Ren belongs to Juulna whose account was sadly hacked into and deleted. If you are reading this Juulna, thanks for allowing me to use her and I hope the best for you. Oh, and Star Wars belongs to Disney/Lucasfilm too.

The wedding reception lasted as slow, yet almost as short-lived as the sands of time. Both Kylo and Mirey easily found themselves aboard Kylo’s personal command shuttle after the guests left. With a prompt farewell from the emperor, the now husband and wife made their way to their new home - if it could even be dubbed as  _ a home _ . 

The Dark Monolith was widely known to be located in the purgatory planet of Mustafar and was the former lair to the terrifying Darth Vader. No one really knew why the Empire had taken control of it after the Clone Wars, but rumours fled that it was from this very planet of which Vader was chanced upon by Palpatine. To think that it would become the headquarters of the Knights of Ren was… well, pretty much expected on Mirey’s part.

If the rest of the Knights were anything like Lord Ren, it would be no surprise to her if they were comfortable living in such an area.

The take-off from Coruscant had been a smooth lift, with the planet’s landscape easily becoming less and less detailed of grand spires as the ship got higher and higher. Before Mirey could even have the opportunity of memorising her last few moments there, she was faced with the luminous glow of her planet’s globe.

“Goodbye,” she mumbled to the viewing glass.

Kylo, sitting at the opposite of Mirey and recognizing the look of sorrow in her eyes, gave out a deep sigh. He wanted to tell her that he knew how it was to be separated from home and family -  _ he _ of all people should - and that this was all part of their duties to uphold. Once they did what was required, they’d be free to return to their former lives.

Nevertheless, maybe it was for the better that he did not say anything at all. It was evident that she was in no mood to talk to him. Despite this, he had a few things to clarify with her.

“Your Highness,” he began. “Where we are heading to is not a place that you would be most accustomed with. Now, I ask that you preferably stay where me or any of my Knights can see you. The castle walls are heavily guarded so you can be rest assured for your safety.”

“So what you’re saying,” Mirey drawled, “is that this place is to be my prison?”

Kylo caught himself and tried retracing his words. “I didn’t mean it that way. I only meant to inform you that--”

“That I am to be confined in a palace where my freedom is to be compromised.”

“Will you just LISTEN to me!” Kylo roared, standing up and heaving from his buried vexations. He had just about enough with royals and his  _ wife _ was no exception. If only he could just… just…"   


Taking in a deep breath, Kylo sat back down, a hand on his face. “Forgive me, Your Highness, I didn’t intend to--”

He was cut short, however, when he looked up  and saw fear widely spread across the princess’s face. How curled in she became, almost like she wanted to protect herself from potential harm. He instantly regretted what he did and immediately reprimanded himself. 

Relieving one heavy thought from his mind, Kylo finished off his apology. “I’m sorry.”

Mirey, trembling from the unexpected outburst, cautiously watched him until she finally returned into a proper sitting position. Putting up her best and brave façade, Mirey accepted his forgiveness. “It’s--” she gulped, “It’s fine.” 

Her husband, satisfied with her response, reverted back to his usual self and the two took their dip into a pool of silence, for better or for worse. 

Alas, it was broken mere moments after, startlingly by Mirey. “Lord Ren,” she perked. “If we are to be husband and wife, I’d suggest you could start calling me by my given name.”

Unable to avoid her, Kylo looked down and simply gave in. “Mireyana--”

“Mirey will do”

“Mireyana.” Not missing the fright in her eyes as he said so, Kylo promptly held up both hands as a sign of compassion. “I’m not going to hurt you. I promise you that no such thing shall ever come to that. I am only looking out for what is expected of us and me as your husband.”

Mirey eyed him guardedly, but eventually hummed in acknowledgement. 

Having made her effort of getting to know this unfathomable stranger who was now set to be her lifelong partner, Mirey was left with no other enquiries and insinuations, thus remaining on her side of the ship, placing herself into the quietness that accompanied her for the rest of the travel. 

***********************************************************************************

To what seemed to be an ongoing journey, the  _ Upsilon _ -class command shuttle had finally completed its course. Upon their arrival to the dark planet, clouds of smoke had covered the entirety of the ship in such a way that, for a moment in total darkness, had Mirey worrying on how they could possibly land in such a hostile environment.

Evidently, a few rough bumps were felt as the ship descended, leading Mirey to quickly grabbing onto the nearest thing she could possibly reach; that being her husband’s arm. As the lights turned back on, and realising what exactly she was holding on to, Mirey let go to straighten herself out. 

“Forgive me,” she apologised shyly. 

Kylo, while familiar with the landing routine and thus unfazed by the uneven flight, was perturbed by her touch. It was unexpected and he was not prepared. With no words spoken from him in return, Mirey downcasted her eyes to step back from the awkward tension growing in between them.

It was a sight for sore eyes when she spotted the landing port, almost uplifting to know that they had arrived. 

As the ship got closer, Mirey suddenly noticed a person standing not far ahead. Finally being able to properly discern the shape of a human female, Mirey noticed that the approaching host was wearing a blue tunic over black leggings and a mask covering the lower portion of her face. With an unyielding posture giving the impression that the woman had undoubtedly spent many years in the military, Mirey knew this woman was not one to underestimated with.  

What made Mirey relaxed by her appearance, however, was the sight of wavy flames cascading down her neck that reminded her all too much of Hux’s.

“Mireyana.”

Mirey turned around to see her husband offering her a hand. Albeit with a little hesitance, she could see that Kylo was undeniably trying to be polite. Not wanting to be rude in return, she accepted his hand as they proceeded onward. 

The pair, accompanied by Kylo’s pilots behind them, made their way down to be greeted by the redheaded woman. Her hand was placed to her chest as she bowed, almost out of habit, welcoming the couple.

“It’s good to see you back, Kylo.” Her voice was sultry and very sensual, but also very firm; this certain grace of her showed Mirey that she was not lacking in manners as well. Overall, from what Mirey could grasp by a glance, this woman had earned her position and the respect from Kylo as he casually addressed her back. “It’s good to be back, Savat. Now, I’m sure you know the princess. Mireyana, this is Savat Ren, my second-hand and most trusted Knight.”  
  
On closer inspection, the woman named [Savat](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/5b/40/30/5b4030b8770c55f0002af756ef3434cb.jpg)  had a small braid in between the layers of her red hair, skin relatively as pale as Kylo’s, a wide bridged, yet sharp pointed nose, along with a pair of mellow, electric blue eyes. Add a stunning dress to accompany her looks and Mirey would have mistook her for another beautiful aristocrat. 

“It’s an honour to meet you, Your Highness,” Savat bowed her head out of high esteem. “I would’ve never imagine meeting royalty so soon. But as much as I would like to fulfill my innocent childhood fantasies, shall we proceed to do so inside?” She motioned to the castle’s entrance.

Before moving, however, a smooth male voice broke through the crowd, having the jump on Mirey as she was suddenly aware of the extra company.  
  
“Welcome back, Master Kylo.” It was a [Chiss](http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/swfanon/images/5/54/Chiss_by_katakanasta.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20131112060141),  his skin in complete contrast with his wholly red eyes with an icy blue shade, accompanied only by his jet-black hair. If anything, he pretty much appeared as any stereotypical specimen of his kind. And if he was anything like Grand Admiral Thrawn...

Kylo greeted him back. “What is it, Chaol?” 

Acknowledged, Chaol stood up and began with his report. “Our scanners have detected some sort of anomaly during the wedding ceremony. I thought you would like to see it for yourself.” He then passed to Kylo what looked to be a small holo-tablet, its screen lit with an abundance of charts.

Skimming through the content, Kylo looked back at him. “Are you sure?”

“Positive, Master.”  
  
Breathing through his nose, Kylo handed the tablet back, only to turn to his second. “Savat,” he said, “go and show the princess around and take her to her  room.” And with that order, Kylo left with his third, leaving no other word for Mirey.

***********************************************************************************

_ Hours earlier… _

A great surge of contentment rose within Hux as he watched the shuttle take flight. Never had he felt so much satisfaction in a plan that played out so perfectly, until now. With phase one completed, the next part would only be of patience. He wouldn’t want them to start getting suspicious.

Walking back to his rooms had been like a jump to every step he took. Being a more wiser and sophisticated ruler that he was now, however, made sure his glee was not so embarrassingly obvious to his staff. With a quick swipe to the holo-pad of his chambers, Hux immediately closed it behind him as he moved towards another unknown door.

Like any other political figure, Hux would have his own skeletons hidden in a place where no one, not even his sister, would know about. This door just happened to be his. Once confirmed for the secrecy around him, Hux then took out a object. And not just any small thing; it was a kyber crystal the size of a small rock. Coincidentally, this same crystal was part of a cluster that made up the diamond of Mirey’s pendant, making it much more easier for him to track her with.

Said cluster could also be found in the concealed room. And with his piece, Hux inserted it into the secret hole that activated the crystal's true function.

Taking a few steps back, he watched as the crystal began to glow, slowly immersing the room in a scarlet hue with amorphous smoke. It did not take long before  _ its _ voice was heard.

“I hope you’ve come with results this time, young  _ Emperor _ .”

Hux nodded his head quite delightfully. “It has been done. All that you have foreseen has, in accordance, been fulfilled. For now, we only have to wait until the vessel is prepared.”

Although not in possession of a mouth, let alone of any physical parts, the resonance and vibration around Hux resembled that of an agreeing hum. “Good… Good,” it said, almost out of reassurance. “I grow tired of this useless... form. Regardless, we must be cautious at all costs. The Force has always worked in mysterious ways.”

“I concur,” Hux agreed. “Soon the galaxy will remember your name and sagacity.”

“Well then,” it chuckled, “As a word from my wisdom, I wouldn’t recommend being too confident, young Emperor, else you shall fail me again for which  _ you _ ... will pay  _ dearly _ .”

If there was one thing Hux learned in his whole entire life, fear was not one to be shown. “Of course,” he hastily replied, feeling heartened by the day’s developments.

“Then we will continue our progress as planned.”

“Yes… My Master.”

***********************************************************************************

“And this is where we train daily,” Savat gestured to the giant arena that was the training gym. “We tend to use it when there aren’t any tasks assigned to us by Kylo and--” She paused, however, after realising that her fellow company was being rather silent behind her. 

Savat emitted a deep sigh as she continued onwards. “Your eyes can deceive you,” she declared.

Although facing ahead, Savat could tell the princess had squeaked in her stride. “What?”

“I’m just saying, Your Highness,” Savat smirked, “that our eyes are very deceitful.”

Mirey shook her head in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“Well… When you first saw me, what did you think of me?”

“Um… Well, you are Kylo’s second so I--”

Savat raised her hand, to rephrase her question “That’ll be when you actually  _ met _ me, princess. But tell me this… what was your impression when you first  _ saw _ me.”

Mirey thought long and hard. “Um…” she stammered, “you looked… regal… graceful… like a noble…”

“And now?”

“Strong… Powerful… Different from what I anticipated but just as expected from you as a Knight.” 

“Exactly my point. You see, the Jedi had once believed that in order to better understand your enemy, you should not rely on sight alone, but count on all senses and the Force to get the upper-hand. That is why I always believe our eyes are untrustworthy.”

Savat continued. “Having said that though, I want to reassure you that Kylo is not as dreadful as he may seem. Now, I’ve known him ever since his initiated, and if there’s anything I’ve learned about him is that Kylo is a man true to his word; and when he says he will protect you, you can be very well sure that he will, he strongly means it. Truthfully, he was not expecting this union, but he will try his best to make you feel comfortable, here and around him; and this choice does not stem from any order he received from the Emperor.” 

Although a response was to be expected, none came from Her Highness. Savat turned around. “Princess Mireyana?”

“What exactly is my husband like?” Mirey suddenly asked. “I mean… with the way you informally address him, you must be well acquainted with him. So, is there more you can tell me about him.”

“Ah…” Savat stammered. “I think that would be a story best told if he shared them with you himself. Besides, I don’t want to overstep. Ah, now, continuing on with our  _ esteemed _ tour, the castle is heavily fortified so there shouldn’t be any--”

Whatever words that were coming out of the second-in-command’s mouth, it was all tuned out in Mirey’s head. After all, she only needed to know her best chance around this marriage and plus she already heard plenty of the castle far enough. 

Eventually, they arrived what looked to be the designated master bedroom.

“And here is where our tour ends,” Savat clapped her hands together. “Now, if there is anything that you need help with, simply call me or any of the Knights around. The  _ Master _ tends to be very busy so he is not often over in the castle.”

Mirey simply hummed back, her eyes despondent.

“Well then, I’m sure Kylo would like for you to wait for him here. I’ll be in my room not too far ahead. Call me if you need anything.”  
  
Nodding, Mirey proceeded into her quarters and waited as patiently as a wife should for her beloved husband on her wedding night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So originally, this chapter was supposed to be longer than it is now and be the wedding night chapter, but after consulting with my second beta, @Allie-Faye - she's the best, I mean she helped me out really well with all the other chapters - we decided to cut it short and post it as 2 chapters, so expect that update coming soon. Thank you for reading and waiting patiently for me to get out of my writer's block. Till then, see you all soon ^_^


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kylo could not be more relieved by work. Granted, given the occurrence of the wedding, he could use a day of rest away from responsibilities, but this had been a great exception.

Kylo could not be more relieved by work. Granted, given the occurrence of the wedding, he could use a day of rest away from responsibilities, but this had been a great exception. “So what’s the issue here,” he said as he entered the comm room.

Chaol Ren, standing near one of the mainframes, pointed to Kylo several irregular lines across a variety of charts depicted onto the screens. “Our scanners detected something abnormal during the wedding reception,” he described. “Upon further investigation, we found it was a Force anomaly of a high midi-chlorian count. We’re still identifying the individual, but we believe it could have been a Jedi.”

“But that’s impossible,” Kylo replied. “The Jedi have been extinct for over decades now, Skywalker himself was the last.”

“That’s what we had concluded before addressing this to you, Master. Regardless, it’s unaccountable how a being with such  attunement rivaling a Jedi Master has not been exposed through the already high security of the palace.”

Kylo sighed, a start of a headache beginning to grow.  _ Perhaps it’s not too late to take it all back _ . “Whatever it is,” he groaned, “I want this matter resolved before the Emperor finds out. Do whatever you can, but be covert. Send Lyne and Val Ren over for extra security around Hux. Much as I would like to see him gone, the galaxy needs his authority.”

“Yes, Master Kylo.” And with that, Chaol bowed, leaving his worn out master to ponder.

It was not too long, however, until a certain red-headed second-in-charge interrupted his train of thought. “Kylo,” she called.

Kylo turned around to see his finest subordinate with hands on her hips and a look on her face that could only be described as…  _ annoyed _ ? “What is it, Savat? Shouldn’t you be accompanying the princess to her rooms?”

“I already did,  _ Master _ .” At the sardonic drag of her address, Kylo knew this was neither a simple nor a common conversation taking place between a master and his second. Savat resumed, “In fact we’ve already trekked the entire castle. Kylo, I’m hoping you remember that you have a duty to fulfill as her consort now, possibly without scaring her off as I had the impression you already did.”

“Are we seriously having this conversation right now?” he grumbled, more to himself than to her. “Savat, I have enough on my mind as it is and--”

Savat cut him off. “And  _ now _ you must know you have marital duties to fulfill sooner or later.”

Kylo, impatient,  closed the gap between them and scowled with suppressed fury as his voice lowered to a profound warning. “Do you think I don’t know the extent of my responsibilities towards her? I’m doing everything I can to make all of  _ this _ \--” he waved his hand around the room “-- comfortable to her.”

“Yet  _ you _ frighten her.” 

“Well what do you want me to do?!” He exploded, his fuse past blown. “ _ She’s _ the one being stubborn here, and yet it’s always me who gets the blame!” 

Before Savat could add on, Kylo continued his rant. “She’s a child, Savat, who, I bet, has always been surrounded by others to keep her company in her extravagant palace, unburdened with any liability whatsoever. Look, I know she’s unhappy, but we both have obligations to carry out and she’s very well not doing hers.”

“My point being, Kylo,” Savat asserted, following behind him as he tried walking away from her, “is that if you’d been a bit more nicer, perhaps she’ll cooperate quicker. I know she may not look like much, but trust me when I tell you that she’s stronger and more resilient than she appears to be.”

“What difference does it make?!” Kylo shouted at her, causing even a few droids around to stop in their activities. “She’s never going to come near me, so why should  _ I _ go to her?!”

“You can’t always avoid her, Kylo,” Savat called in return. “You and I both know the Emperor would personally make sure of that. Besides, I think she really wants to know you, and not just out of duty.”

“And why do you say that?”

“She asked me about you.”

Kylo stopped. He faced her directly. Moments passed in silence until he quietly asked, “And what did you say to her?”

The corners of Savat’s lips quirked. “I told her it’s not my story to tell. In spite of everything, I am still your most trusted Knight.” With nothing said from her master, Savat took it as her chance to explain herself further. “I know things aren’t exactly as you like it, but a duty is a duty to fulfill, especially one from the emperor.”

“Yes, but Savat, she’s…” Kylo sighed, exasperated as if explaining to a child, something he must never associate with his second-in-command. “To me, she looks like a child. I mean I can’t-- I just don’t know how to do…  _ this _ . How exactly I am suppose to…  to reach her?”

“A girl at nineteen years of age should never be considered a child,” said Savat. “But, I get it, Kylo. These…  _ things _ are no easy topics. However, I think you should be rest assured that it’s not an obligation for you to consummate this marriage tonight.”

Alarmed by the sudden information, Kylo turned to Savat. “ _ What? _ ”

“Well, I am only assuming myself that there were no specific mentions when the consummation is to occur. I mean, did Hux said anything at all?”

Now that he thought about it, there was no indication about anything. What if Savat was right?

***********************************************************************************

Mirey stood in the middle of the room, observing her new quarters. To put it simply, the interior was dark, black furnishings absorbing the faint light coming from the boiling lava seen glowing outside the windows. The furnace was a flare in the dark, casting long shadows in the room. 

She felt exhausted and utterly spent after the long day. Taking relaxing breaths, Mirey perched herself uncomfortably on the enormous bed in front of the fireplace, her position betraying her anxiety. 

Everything around her just proved the rumors that Kylo Ren was grimly enigmatic; the whole planet testified to that quite well. The idea of such a man being her husband disdained her, especially considering that no matter how hard she worked for her brother’s attention, the black knight would always seem to exceed her. What ever could have possessed her brother to have her marry him in the end? 

Regardless, remembering what Savat had told her, Mirey composed her mind. 

_ Eyes can deceive you _ , she chanted,  _ eyes can deceive you. Perhaps he’s not as bad as he seems _ .

Without much notice, the doors of the bedroom opened, a loud echo thundering around the space. In came the man in question himself. As soon as Mirey became aware of his presence, she was met with his back facing her. 

“Kylo?”

Whatever tension that may have resided inside him unwinded as she called out his name. Mirey then saw him deeply inhaling, steadying his breath, almost like he was thinking over something. It was not long before he finally turned and advanced towards her, taking his seat on the bed. 

The tension returned again. And Mirey despised it.

Attempting to break it, Mirey chimed in of her remarks of the castle. “It’s awfully big for a group of seven,” she concluded. “And from what I’ve heard from Savat, you’re hardly in the castle at all.”

“Well,” he hesitantly quipped, “as the Master of the Knights of Ren, I’d hardly have any time to spare.”

It was a small try, but it did made Mirey smirk a little at his comment nonetheless. However, it was very brief and hence the two fell restlessly back into their zone of silence.

“Is it true, then?” Kylo looked back at Mirey, her eyes apparent on searching upon his. “That you kill people and destroy their homes?” 

He sighed. “Only those against us, Your Highness.”

“Please,” she interjected, “Mirey, will do.”

“Of course, right, forgive me, it’s just some... some taking used to.” 

Suspense began seeping into the room again, stillness caressing onto their skins like a cool summer breeze - ironic considering the hot lava all around them. Stultified, it was not until a second later before Kylo perceived ruffling sounds, like clothes being discarded and tossed aside.  _ Clothes discarded?  _ It took not so much as a second thought before Kylo knew what Mirey was trying to do. He quickly turned his attention to her, only to be greeted by her half naked body.

One can only imagine the wave of pure heat rushing through his veins.

Flushed, Kylo immediately looked away, his hands poorly attempting to cover anything and everything from his sights. “Mi-- Mireyana, please,” he choked, unknowing the reason bringing him acting like a pubescent teen. “We don’t have to do this. I’d understand if you want to wait”

Mirey paused, her hands stilling on her half-discarded grown. “But it’s customary.”

“Yes, I’m much aware of that. I just would prefer if we were to do this on a later date. We… hardly know each other and it would seem improper for us to do so,” he firmly concluded.

Mirey was hesitant, but knowing the destruction this man could easily cause, she dared not to defy him. Nodding her head, embarrassment taking a hold of her, she stood up, taking along all of her clothes with her and meekly asking if he could show her a place where she could change. He pointed to her another set of grand doors.

Entering what appeared to be the shared closet, Mirey could not help but notice how comparatively smaller it was to hers back on Coruscant. And looking around, Mirey was not as surprised of her husband’s choice of dark-themed clothing.

As Mirey changed, Kylo stared at the concrete floor.  _ What am I doing, _ he sighed, shaking off the unease of powerlessness that haunted him all day. Grabbing his clothes, he quickly changed himself for the night, having taken the decision to sleep on the couch instead. 

Mirey did eventually returned and was indeed met with the cold, empty spot for the night’s company. Having had enough from today, she asked no questions and made her way to sleep, spending her first night outside her teenager home as alone as she was back at home.  
  
“I hate this.”

**Author's Note:**

> Leave a comment/kudos if you liked it and I will get started and working on the next chapter ^_^ Until next time. Bye-bye!


End file.
